1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing method suitable for a system including an image processing apparatus, a system including an image processing apparatus, an image processing apparatus, and a data erasing method for the apparatus, which are suitable for maintaining data security by erasing data stored especially in a nonvolatile storage medium after execution of a printing process by an image forming apparatus, such as a printer, in which the stored data is output to a printer engine to form an image on paper, and a program for implementing the method, and a storage medium storing the program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, for a system comprised of an image processing apparatus (image-outputting apparatus), such as a printer, which provides a printing service, and a personal computer connected to the image processing apparatus, as a client (client PC) making use of the printing service, there has been proposed a method of once storing image data output from the client PC, and causing the image data to be printed out at a time point a predetermined operation is carried out by the image processing apparatus.
However, the above image processing apparatuses of the prior art suffer from the following problem: In the printing process executed by the image processing apparatus, internal description language data temporarily generated as intermediate processing data peculiar to the apparatus during execution of the printing process, compressed data, and image data to be printed out are stored in a storage medium, especially a nonvolatile storage medium, and these data remain unerased in the storage medium even after the power of the apparatus is turned off. Therefor, there has been a demand for a technique of maintaining data security of the image processing apparatus (first problem).
Further, if all data remaining in the storage medium are controlled to be simply erased only for preserving data security, in the event that data of a plurality of users remain stored in the storage medium, there can be a problem of data being erased in spite of intention of users who do not wish to have their data erased. This results in degraded usability. Further, if the control is provided such that all data existing in the storage medium are erased, the erasure takes much time when there are a plurality data remaining in the storage medium. Further, in the case of erasing data at all, the conventional control method cannot meet various needs of users, such as the demand of high-speed in the data erasure, the demand of high data security, and so forth (second problem).